Outbreak in Ponyville
by Diamond Kindflower
Summary: A new disease is spreading across Ponyille. It all starts when Rainbow Dash collapsed mid-performance. Pretty soon, almost all of Ponyville's residents are displaying signs of illness. It's up to Princess Twilight Sparkle and her companion, Spike, to find the cure and rid Ponyville of this disease.
1. Chapter 1 Rainbow Dash

So, Twilight wants us to write our personal "disease stories" about this virus she's been studying. She hopes that she'll discover something new about this disease if she studies everyone else's effects. Well, I don't see how it's going to help but if Twilight really thinks it will, I'll do it. After all, I did say I'd never leave my friends hanging.

It all started on August eighth, right before I was supposed to perform with The Wonderbolts for the second time. This time, we would be performing in Ponyville. I was totally thrilled! The only problem was that I wasn't feeling so hot; maybe even 20% less cool than usual. I could barely even get myself out of bed that morning because I was so tired and I normally don't have that problem. I was also aching all over from my head to my gut to pretty much all of my muscles. On top of all that, I just knew I had a fever. But I couldn't let that get to me. It was only my second time performing and I couldn't blow it! So I just decided to act like it was nothing. Man was that a big mistake!

It was about time to start the show and I had just gotten myself into my launch position. When it was time to start, I really struggled to keep up with everypony. Normally I'd be zooming all throughout the sky, but my body just wasn't feeling up to it that day. It was about midway through the show and I had just come out of a loop-de-loop when my head started spinning. I felt totally nauseas and I thought I was going to pass out. Suddenly, my vision went black and I guess I blacked out. I don't remember much after that.

I eventually woke up in the hospital and I felt awful. The doctor told me I had gotten a concussion and had broken my left leg after I fell from such a height. Everypony was poking and prodding me trying to find out what was wrong with me. But no matter what tests they ordered, no pony had any idea what was making me feel so sick. All I wanted was to feel better.


	2. Chapter 2 Fluttershy

It was August ninth, the day after Rainbow Dash's accident. Celestia had just raised the sun, so I'm guessing it was about six a.m. that morning. The sun was shining brightly and it looked like a lovely morning. Too bad I wasn't feeling quite so sunny. I woke up with the most awful headache and my legs were also feeling achy. I was supposed to take my animal friends on a picnic that day; I just hoped they weren't too disappointed. Thankfully, they seemed to understand and they all tried their best to help make me feel better, even Angel. Being taken care of didn't quite feel right but I knew that there wasn't much else I could do until I felt better.

Despite the condition I was in, I couldn't help but worry about all of the other creatures. If I couldn't take care of them, who could? Suddenly, as if somepony had answered my question, the door opened. "Hi, Fluttershy." I heard a familiar voice say. I looked over and saw that Pinkie Pie had come to pick up Gummy, her pet alligator. She eventually realized that I wasn't feeling well and asked if there was anything she could do to help. I told her that she could help take care of the other animals, if it wouldn't be too much trouble. Pinkie Pie, being the good friend she is, happily accepted.

Days went by and Pinkie Pie kept coming back to help however she could. I was becoming more concerned because my fever never got any lower. In fact, it only seemed to be getting higher. As it went up, my chills got worse. I eventually decided that I had to go to the hospital.


	3. Chapter 3 Pinkie Pie

It was August 16th, one week since Fluttershy had gone to the hospital, at about seven a.m. in the morning. Normally on a morning like this, I'd be up before the rooster even crowed and I'd sit down to have a scrumdiddlyumptious breakfast (probably some super-duper sugary cereal or even cupcakes if it was a really special day) while checking my calendar to see what parties needed to be planned. That morning, it was a different story.

That morning, I woke up with an awful tummy-ache. It was so bad that I couldn't bring myself to eat even the tiniest little bite, which is unusual because I could usually eat an enormous amount of treats. In fact, one time I ate an entire batch of cupcakes and I still felt kind of hungry afterwards. Did I ever tell you how much I love cupcakes? I could talk about them all day because there are just so many. There's vanilla, chocolate, red-velvet, strawberry, blueberry, and even−oh, wait! I guess I got a little distracted, sorry, everypony. Anyway, I decided that if I didn't feel good, I would stay in bed for the day. Then I decided to take my temperature and it was almost 102 degrees. I was so tired that I fell fast asleep immediately after that.

Days went by and I didn't do much except sleep most of the time. I made sure that I was drinking enough water and that I had extra blankets in case the chills started to kick in. But no matter what I was doing, I wasn't getting any better. I used to get tummy-aches a lot when I was a filly, but they went away after a while if I rested. I actually think I was getting worse because I hadn't even eaten the teensiest little crumb in days. Just the smell or even the look of food made my tummy feel yucky. Then, on the morning of August 21st, I woke up with the worst tummy-pain I'd ever had! It felt like a gigantic party balloon was being blown up inside of me. Did I ever mention how much I love balloons, too? They might be even better than cupcakes, but that's a really hard decision to make. Just like cupcakes, there are so many different kinds. There's big ones, tiny ones, skinny ones, round ones, there's even ones that look like- oopsie! I lost focus again, silly me! So, when I woke up with that awful tummy ache that morning I decided that this was no ordinary tummy bug and that I needed help. So I decided to go to the hospital.


	4. Chapter 4 Twilight

It had been almost a month since Rainbow Dash's accident. By then, most of the citizens of Ponyvile had been showing signs of the mysterious illness. Their conditions weren't deteriorating, but they weren't improving either. Something had to be done or it could possibly spread throughout all of Equestria! So I desperately searched my library in hopes of finding a name for it and gaining some new information. I had found a plethora of books about diseases, but not many of the symptoms coincided with the ones being experienced by many of the victims. Then on the morning of September fourth, I finally found the first piece of the puzzle.

I was continuing my vigorous search, when I heard Spike call my name. At first I dismissed his calls. But he soon made it clear that he had discovered some vital information. He then showed me an article from that day's newspaper. It was about Vihola (pronounced veye-oh-la) Fever, a disease that was spreading in Mareocco. After I read the article, I realized two things. The first of those two was that the symptoms coincided with those afflicted. The second was that this disease might be too powerful to handle by myself. So I decided to ask Zecora, a healer and good friend of mine.

Once I arrived at Zecora's hut in the Everfree Forest, I asked her about this new disease and handed her the article Spike had found. After she read it, I witnessed her smile fade into a melancholy expression. "Of this disease I know too well," she stated. "On this story it saddens me to dwell." "Zecora, if discussing your past experience troubles you so much, you don't-" "But to aid you, Twilight Sparkle, this tale I must tell." She paused for a moment before telling me. "It happened not long ago, in a village in Mareocco. There, all was well and my life did excel. But soon, the situations began to change when villagers came down with an illness so strange. At first, one was infected and then many more. My world apart it tore. Suddenly, from my home I was forced to flee to keep the illness far from me. I was greeted with cruel words and hateful deeds. The Everfree Forest is where nopony dared step, so that is where I chose to tend to my needs. Ceaselessly I tried to make the cure but if I would succeed, I was unsure. After many attempts I achieved success but I was again met with distress. To my home I cannot return, yet to see my family again I yearn." "Oh, Zecora, I'm so sorry." I said. "I wish there was something we could do to help." "Although I have troubles of my own, to changing other lives this outbreak is prone. It is you who I trust to administer the cure. Although this is an important duty, you will accomplish it I am sure."

After I obtained the cure from Zecora, I returned home to devise my plan to administer it to everypony. When I glanced at one of the windows, the idea hit me! The disease caused the hosts to develop a high fever (hence the name, Vihola Fever) and they'd be using any possible methods to bring that fever down. One of the most efficient means was to open a window and allow the cool fall air to flow into the room. After collecting data and making calculations, it was determined that a strong breeze would rush through Ponyvile at approximately 9 a.m. tomorrow. If either Spike or I were to travel to the highest hill, one of us could administer the medicine via the wind.

That night I decided to go to bed early because I was developing a slight headache. I didn't find that to be abnormal because I had associated it with the stress brought on by the most recent event. Suddenly, I dreamt what would be the worst nightmare I had yet! The outbreak had progressed so far that the Mayor had begun evacuating the most high-risk groups (young fillies and colts, elderly ponies, pregnant mares, ponies who were already sick) by train. Ponyvile had transformed into a diseased wasteland and ponies were separated from their loved ones!


	5. Chapter 5 Spike

It was early in the morning on September 5th; Celestia hadn't even raised the sun yet. I was snuggled up in my nice warm bed without a care in the world. Suddenly, I realized that something wasn't right. On a morning like this, Twilight would have usually woken me up so we could get an early start on our daily tasks. Fearing that something really bad was happening, I stretched before slowly getting out of bed. Then, I walked over to Twilight's bed.

I gently shook her and called her name in an attempt to awaken her, but she just moaned and rolled over. "What's wrong, Twilight?" I asked. "Oh, Spike, I don't feel well" she mentioned. "My headache has worsened immensely and I'm sick to my stomach. I fear I've caught the virus." Tears filled my eyes as I saw the same Twilight who had mastered some of the hardest spells, struggle to levitate the thermometer resting on her desk. Since she couldn't do it herself, I went on over and took it and put it in her mouth. After waiting a few minutes, I checked her temperature and noticed that it was 104.4 degrees. "Twilight, your fever is really high." I noted. "I'll stay back and take care of you" "No, Spike" she said. "All of Ponyvile is counting on you; you need to administer the medicine." "But Twilight, you're really-" "I'll be alright. Look, I know that this is tall order but I know you can do this! You may only be a baby dragon, but you're quite mature for your age. Will you do this for me?" My knees knocked at the thought of being faced with this situation. Beads of sweat ran down my scales as I battled over which choice to make. Finally, I decided that I had to administer the medicine because nopony else could do it and this outbreak wouldn't stop unless somepony did something. So I opened up a window, grabbed the anemometer and the medicine, and raced out the door!

I ran as far and as fast as my legs could possibly carry me without a thought in my mind. Eventually, I made it to the highest hill in all of Ponyvile. As I sat atop the hill I saw the few stars that were left in the sky as they sparkled in the darkness. I wanted to take the time to perceive such a gorgeous scene, but I knew that everypony was depending on me so I had to focus on checking the wind speed. I sat atop the hill with an anemometer in my hand as I waited for the wind to pick up to a strong gale.

After waiting for quite a while, I was caught off guard a strong gust of wind. I checked the anemometer and the measurements indicated that the wind speeds indicated a strong gale. So I picked up the bottle of medicine and removed the cork. Once I did, I picked up a fruit scent which told me that the medicine was being carried in the wind. Mission Accomplished! However, my journey didn't end there. The wind's strength hit my back to hard that I nearly tumbled down the hill! I gripped a low-hanging branch on a nearby tree to keep myself from travelling in the wind. Although my grip was strong, I struggled to stay put. I felt myself being dragged away from the branch and I felt like the nails on my claws were going to tear off. Finally, I was forced to let go of the branch and I felt myself being carried off by the gust.

I became weightless and flailed around in a panic, unsure of where the wind was taking me or what my fate would be. As I passed by the trees, I wondered whether I had made the right choice. Before I could answer that, the wind suddenly ceased and I started falling. As I fell, I said my prayers and prepared myself for what would come next. Luckily, I landed on some tree branches which helped break my fall. Once I landed, I suddenly remembered how sick Twilight was when I left. I immediately picked myself up, dusted off, and sprinted back to Ponyvile.

After running so many miles, I finally made it back to the castle. I saw Twilight standing at the door with her eyes full of glee. I raced toward her and wrapped my arms tightly around her. "I'm so proud of you, Spike!" I heard her say to me. "Really?" I asked. "Of course, you cured everypony in Ponyvile. You're my hero!" Hearing all of that praise was nice, but the best part was knowing that Twilight was alright.


	6. Epilogue (Twilight)

After Spike administered the potion it was reported that all of the citizens of Ponyvile were no longer experiencing symptoms of illness. Although nopony had any logical explanation for such a remarkable turn of events, the mayor decided it was a good idea to plan a festival to celebrate. But before she could, she had to obtain my approval and assistance. After thinking it over, I decided to help fulfill her request.

Overall, the festival was a success. It lasted almost an entire week and many events ensued. So many, in fact, that I can't remember all of them. Nopony could get enough of Applejack's baked goods. Rainbow Dash was ecstatic to fly with the Wonderbolts again after being stuck in bed for a long time. Thanks to Fluttershy's animal attraction, countless stray animals found loving homes. I assume that Pinkie Pie enjoyed herself; she spent most of her time with Cheese Sandwich so I didn't see much of her. But the greatest activity of all was the play, _Into the Everfree Forest_. Although it was a wonderful performance, my favorite aspect was the costumes sewn by Rarity herself.

As for me, there's not much to say about what I did at the festival. Princess Celestia arrived and commended Spike and I for our efforts. I delivered a few speeches describing how we halted the outbreak and how I planned to help citizens remain healthy. When I wasn't performing my duties, I spent some quality time with Spike and my friends. I had a joyous experience overall.

After the festival ended, I realized that Zecora hadn't shown up at the festival at all. So I decided to pay her a visit. At first, everything seemed normal once I had arrived. But once I entered her hut, I noticed that the walls were barren and that the room was almost empty. Suddenly, I noticed a note stuck to the back of the door. It stated that travel to Mareocco had opened up again and that she was going to return home to her family. Zecora had been like a secondary mentor to me, I couldn't let her go without saying goodbye. So I immediately raced over to the train station!

Once I met up with Zecora, I struggled to fight the tears as we said our good-byes. Before she left, she gave me a special necklace that she had made for me. The beads on the necklace were made from some kind of wood but all of the beads here in Ponyvile are made from crystals. I can only hope that I'll see her again but until then, we've agreed to write letters to each-other.

Although nopony has been displaying signs of the Viola virus, I still fear that another outbreak may resurface in the future. I am still studying this disease to understand how this epidemic started. If anypony out there has any idea why or how this diseas spread so rapidly or has any information about the virus, please notify me.

A.N: Hi everypony! I'm sorry I took so long to complete this story, thank for your patience. Thanks to all of you who favorited and commented my work. I know this isn't my best fan fiction, but I'm still proud of it. I wanted to do something like this for a while and I finally made it happen!


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